Thursday, July 30, 2015

Try: Five Minute Friday

Another week, another chance to write on a one-word prompt for only five minutes. We set timers, type quickly, and let it flow without criticism. Then, we link-up our posts so we can read others' posts and they read ours and we have a community that grows from one word each week.
Five Minute Friday.

Go!

This past weekend, I participated in my first triathlon. Before you conjure up visions of Iron Man and 26 mile marathons, let me assure you this was nothing that difficult. It was called a "Tin Man" and was a "sprint" distance. 1/2 mile of swimming, 12 miles of biking, and a 5K (3.11 mile) run at the end.
I've no good explanation for what drew me to attempt this feat, other than I've seen it advertised in our paper for the past few years and I thought "I'd like to try that sometime."

Two years ago a friend talked me into running a half-marathon. It took me 2:30:58 to complete it. So my goal was to be faster than that in this race.
I was pretty wiped out after that. In my age bracket, the top three racers finished in 1:30:58 comparatively. I'm not fast.
I tried to condition my body leading up to the race while my children were still in school. Then we all had a very rough virus in the beginning of May. Mother's Day was a stay-at-home, chicken-soup kind of day this year. We all survived, but I didn't begin training until May 30. An all-day hike to some gorgeous waterfalls. I would joke with my friends that "slow and steady wins the race". I also referred to myself as "Tammy the Tortoise."

I swam two days a week the month of June with some bike rides in there, and three days a week the month of July. My swim time ended up 23:23. 
These goggles are over 20 years old. It's my scuba mask and it may look funny, but it keeps the water out of my nose!


Not bad. My bike ride was slower because I was not really "racing" the bike. (And I am afraid of fast biking, so I was holding the brakes a lot on the other side of the large hill at 8 miles instead of coasting up to 30 miles per hour)
When it came to the run, I tried. And? I. Could. Not. Run.
Coming in from the biking portion

I never walked a step of the half-marathon, so to say I felt disappointment is an understatement. My split time after biking was 1:17, so I knew it was possible to finish the race in 2 hours. My friend caught up to me and passed me.
That was just before the aid station, with only half the run left. After I turned around back toward the finish line, I cried. Ugly cried. So ugly you cannot close your jaw because you are sobbing your face off cried. All the extra Carbon Dioxide finally exited my body and I was able to begin trotting again. I would count to 20 with walking steps, then count to 20 with jogging steps. I kept trying to increase the jogging steps.
Soon, I was near the finish line. I was at the chain link fence around the bend, so I began to jog, then sprint, then I began to leap. My husband thought I was joking around. He couldn't believe I was pumping my arms and hopping as far as I could jump, but that's all I had left.
My final time? 1:59:56.
Only four seconds under the 2 hour mark. 7 out of 10 in the women's division. Racer #10 did not complete the race after the first two legs.
Leaping to the finish line
You'll never know what you can do if you don't try.
I felt betrayed by my inability to run. I really thought I could do this without walking, but a wise friend shared with me this week, "The fact that you tried and you succeeded may inspire somebody else to do something they never thought they could do."

Go ahead and try. Persistence is praiseworthy.

~Tammy

*Confession, I had to take more than five minutes in order to add photos and captions, but I really wanted to share this with you.

38 comments:

  1. Rock on! That's so awesome that you finished and that you bested you old time in the half! I've considered doing a triathlon sprint--you give me courage to take the next step (especially if a gal can swim with a snorkeling mask!).

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    1. Thank you! I really recommend doing running as part of your training. I had some muscle injuries from the half-marathon that kept me from really being able to train without pain...but that's another story.
      And, yes, a snorkeling mask, but no snorkel. :D

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  2. Great job, girlfriend! I did a little triathlon like this too about 5 years ago and boy was it hard. I never TRIED it again LOL. But it does bring satisfaction, doesn't it? Oh, and I used to run. I haven't TRIED in 5 months.
    ........hmmm....;)

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    1. Ruthie!
      now we just have to get Susan to do one and we'll be the Three Amigas. Ha ha, it seems we already are. I just love the two of you.
      And I don't think I want to run...but I'm getting up at 5am twice a week to swim still. My body needs to be exercised.
      :D

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    2. We love you too, girlfriend! Maybe we could make up our own triathlon where you just do 3 easy things and get to visit at the same time! ;)

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    3. Or we could do a main dish, a side dish, and a dessert. That's three, right? :D

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  3. Amen and congrats on a job well done. I love how you say persistence is praiseworthy. So glad to see you here tonight as part of FMF. Happy almost Friday!

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    1. Thank you, Mary.
      I love our FMF group!! I also appreciate your encouragement. I don't like the feeling of "less than"...but I need to remember that with God, He is "more than".
      ~Tammy

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  4. So happy you did this!!! It is fun to challenge ourselves, even if we don't meet our own standards the fact that we tried at all is a huge step!!

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    1. Thanks Marisa!
      I appreciate your visit. Your post was so great too!
      It's hard to try to get ready for something like this with the responsibility of children. But I love them, so I would rather be a mom than be a fitness model. I'm trying to balance between them. :)
      ~Tammy

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  5. You are so inspiring! I love that you tried something new and grew stronger every step of the way! What an accomplishment. I'm so glad you shared your story (and pics) with FMF!

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    1. Oh Karen, thank you.
      As the hard moments fade and the happy moments linger, I'll describe that it's like labor. You are glad for the baby, but you're exhausted and feel like crying when it's done...and yet, when it's all over and you start to forget the hard moments, (and you've slept), you are proud of yourself.
      I'm glad it could inspire you. Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, and it helps to hear that the sacrifice was worthwhile!
      ~Tammy

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  6. Tammy, proud of you! I've always said that I wanted to walk/run the 5K at the Fargo Marathon. I may just have to try it now. Oh and I too can be such an ugly crier. I'm parked in the #11 spot this week.

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    1. Tara,
      you should totally do the 5K! Before doing a half, I did some 5Ks and they are challenging, but not crippling. It's just the right distance! (And if you do a color run, they're not timed...so it's only a "fun run".)
      If we ever do a race together, I'll ugly cry with you...if we need to. I needed to. :D
      And thank you so much for quoting me in your blog. What an honor. *big hug*
      You keep trying those adventures, and they will get easier!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  7. You did it you did it you did it YOU DID IT!

    SnOoPy dAnCe!

    I am #16 today...you were faster than I was this evening!

    http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2015/07/your-dying-spouse-37-try-to-remember.html

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    1. Andrew,
      thank you. I can see Snoopy dancing. And now the Charlie Brown theme is running through my head. I think music might have helped me run.
      But truly, thank you. I've been trying to wrestle with my thoughts ever since the race instead of seeing the obvious. "You did it."
      Thank you!
      ~Tammy

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  8. you go girl, congrats, well done.

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    1. Denise,
      thank you. I'm so glad to hear from you every week. And then I get to read your beautiful words too.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  9. Good job, Tammy! I wouldn't even have tried...:)

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    1. Thanks so much for the visit! :)
      I think I underestimated how hard it would be.
      But after reading your post, I would suggest to you that the streets are paved with cheese! (And there are no cats in America)
      :)
      ~Tammy

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  10. Well done! I think that's an amazing achievement to have completed the race whatever the time you took. I am inspired by how you kept going even when it was tough and ultimately succeeded. Carly (#32)

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    1. Carly, thank you. You have commented in a way that helps me process the experience!
      It's not how pretty or ugly our finish is, but that we didn't quit. And thank you SO much for giving me your fmf number. I struggle sometimes to find people without it!
      ~Tammy

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  11. Great job!! A sprint tr is on my to do list. Just need to find somewhere to swim. The nearest pool is 100 miles away. But I will keep "trying". ;-)

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    1. Thank you, Laura,
      I think even without training for the pool, you would do okay. Our race was in a pool...it was easier to train for than a lake race. Although, training in a 25 yard pool and racing in a 35 yard pool was an adjustment I hadn't realized would be so big!
      ~Tammy

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  12. OH girlfriend I couldn't be more proud of you!!! Pure awesomeness. You tried and you did it. YAY you, YAY GOD for giving you the stamina to leap to the finish!! #46 over in the parking lot at FMF

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    1. Thanks Susan.
      Thanks for the encouragement on Twitter too. Now Ruthie and I just have to enter one with you. Shoot, let's make it easy and do a team event. Would you like to do the bike, the run, or the swim?
      :D I'll be visiting in a moment to read your offering!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  13. Aaaahhhh.... I love this! Reading your finishing time brought tears to my eyes! Good for you! We never know what we can do when we just keep trying! So proud of you! ~ Have a great Friday! (Stopping by from FMF)

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    1. Rachel,
      oh thank you. You are too kind. I am so glad it moved you. I think the comments on this post are really helping me see what I did well instead of my self-critique overwhelming my mind.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  14. Wow ~ And, there is a world of truth in what your friend said. Just knowing that someone else just like us was able to do something spectaular, gives us energy to maybe give it a try. Congratulations! :)

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    1. Thank you Damarise!
      I'm hoping you'll try something and tell me all about it!
      ~Tammy

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  15. Girl, in my book, you are a ROCK. STAR. I've never attempted a half-marathon, much less a triathlon. Congratulations on trying . . . and on finishing. Even if you didn't finish the way you wanted to. You finished. I'm so proud of you.

    And thank you for the reminder that we should continue to stretch ourselves by trying those things we fear. LOVED your post today. :)

    PS— I'm #14 :)

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    1. Jeanne,
      thank you. It's so hard to not be satisfied with our best. I really gave all I had, and need to see that.
      You are a dear and the things you have done that I've never done, well, we're just going to sit and admire each other, right? :D
      (Like curling my tongue. I hear you're good at that one. Maybe you can teach me to blow a bubble gum bubble.)
      Love,
      Tammy

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    2. LOL, my friend. Is tongue-curling what I'll come to be known for?! ;) Bubble-gum blowing bubbles, I'll help you . . . whenever we get to meet. :)

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    3. Jeanne,
      ha ha, just one of your many gifts. I don't think you listed it, but I happened to read your comment about winking and tongue-curling. I am unable. (I can wink, though.)
      I eagerly anticipate the day we get to meet!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  16. Wow! What an awesome way to try!!!

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    1. Tondra,
      thank you. God is good. And our struggles are always a chance to learn, if we listen. :) He is pleased with our efforts. I'm beginning to learn it.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  17. You're my hero. You showed up.

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    1. Andrew,
      You are also a hero. You keep showing up faithfully and overcoming a lot more than I've had to face in my almost 36 years. :)
      Carry on, good chap.
      Love,
      Tammy

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